Comet ISON will probably be bright enough for naked-eye viewing from mid-November until the end of the year. Current predictions are for it to shine at magnitude –4.5, about the brightness of Venus, around November 28, when it comes closest to the Sun. Comets that are making their first pass by the Sun, like ISON, are notoriously unpredictable, although many have become quite spectacular. Even if it’s not the comet of the century, it will certainly be beautiful, and astronomers around the world are excited to see how it develops.